Multisection shelf and bracket assembly



May 26, 1970 H. F. KELLOGG MULTISECTION SHELF AND BRACKET ASSEMBLY 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 5, 1967 May 26, 1970 H. F. KELLOGG 3,513,786

MULTISECTION SHE'LF AND BRACKET ASSEMBLY File-d July 5, 1967 ,2Sheets-Sheei 2 55,7 357 5S 35 w/L 28 Si# so so United States Patent OU.S. Cl. 10S-64 3 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A plurality ofsupport members having brackets supported thereon. A plurality of shelfsegments having devices secured thereto and joining the segments inspaced side-by-side and end-to-end relationship.

BACKGROUND This invention relates generally to supports and moreparticularly to a multisection shelf and bracket assembly.

In the past, shelf bracket assemblies have included support membersadapted for mounting on a wall, and brackets selectively engageable inany of various spaced openings in the support members. A shelf is thensupported on the brackets. Ideally, the shelf is planar, as is thesupporting surface of the brackets for each shelf. Practically speaking,however, this ideal situation does not usually exist. If the wall is notperfectly planar, or if there is a slight bump thereon, the supportmembers will not be mounted in the same plane, thus causing the bracketsto be canted. A slight burr on the mounting end of the bracket, orslight wear at the joining parts of the bracket and support member, canhave the same result. Additionally, a wide shelf is frequently warped.Any of these results in a situation where the shelf and its supportingbrackets are not coplanar and the shelf can rock on the bracket.

Also, in the past, an erected shelf and bracket assembly wassubstantially invariable as to size. It could not, for example, belengthened or widened without discarding the old shelf and replacing itwill a new one of the desired slze.

SUMMARY The present invention relates to a multisection shelf andbracket assembly which comprises support members, brackets, amultisection shelf including spaced segments, and means for holding thesegments in spaced relationship.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide amultisection shelf and bracket assembly which obviates the above notedproblems in the prior art, which is attractive, and which is easilyassembled.

Another object is to provide an assembly in which the shelf will engagethe brackets even if the shelf is warped or the brackets cantedslightly.

Still another object is to provide an assembly which is versatile andcan be erected in various widths and/or lengths and which can easily bechanged in size.

Yet another object is to provide a multisection shelf and bracketassembly wherein the shelf includes segments arranged in spacedrelationship.

It is another object to provide a multisection shelf and bracketassembly wherein the shelf includes segments which are held fromlongitudinal and lateral movement relative to each other.

These, and other objects and advantages of the present invention, willbecome apparent as the same becomes better understood from the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

3,513,786 Patented May 26, 1970 DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional View taken along line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a device for joining the shelf segments;

FIG. 5 is a top view of a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a device for joining the shelf segmentsin the modied form.

DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. l, there is illustrated a support member,generally designated by the numeral 10, and a bracket, generallydesignated by the numeral 12, engaged thereto. A second support member10' and a second bracket 12 are similarly arranged. It is contemplatedthat additional support members and brackets may be utilized, ifdesired. The support members are adapted for mounting on a supportingsurface 13 in a generally vertical position. As illustrated, supportmember 10 has a front wall 14 and side walls 15 and 16. A plurality ofopenings 17 are provided in the support member for passage of fasteners17a to mount the member on the supporting surface 13. Front wall 14 hasa plurality of equally spaced openings in the form of slots 19 formounting the bracket 12 thereon in any convenient manner well known inthe art.

Bracket 12 has a body 22 having a rear end 24 disposed adjacent supportmember 10. End 24 has projections 25 for interi'ltting with slots 19 inthe support member to mount the bracket thereon in a cantleveredfashion. When so mounted, the bracket has a generally horizontalsupporting surface 26 extending outwardly from the support member forsupporting a shelf in the usual manner. At the outer end of the bracketis provided a projection 28 extending above the level of the supportingsurface 26.

Support member 10' and bracket 12 are similarly arranged, and similarparts are illustrated in the drawing by the same numeral followed by thepostscript prime and further description is deemed unnecessary.

A multisection shelf is supported on the surfaces 26, 26 of the brackets12 and 12', respectively. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, themultisection shelf includes a plurality of identical longitudinallyextending segments 30 which span the brackets 12 and 12. Each segmenthas a front edge 30a and a rear edge 30b, and the edges of adjacentsegments are spaced apart a preselected distance. Each segment isprovided with a plurality of generally cylindrical openings 32 in eachlongitudinal extending edge thereof for a purpose which will hereinafterbecome apparent. Identical openings 32 are also provided in the ends ofeach segment. These end openings 32 are centrally located at eachsegment and serve a function hereafter explained.

Means is provided for holding the segments in said spaced relationship.In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, this is in the form of aplurality of devices, generally designated 40. As best seen in FIG. 4,the device 40 includes a head portion 41 and leg portions 42 and 43extending in opposite lateral directions from the head portion. In theembodiment illustrated, the leg portions and head portions .aregenerally cylindrical in cross section. The leg portions are sized for africtional t into the openings 32. The head portion 41 has a size largerthan the leg portions but not greater than the thickness of the segmentsto leave the upper surface of the shelf unobstructed when the devices 40are inserted into openings 32.

As explained above, the segments 30 are generally identical; thus, whenthe ends thereof are aligned, the Openings 32 in the edges of adjacentsegments are generally aligned. Thus, the aligned legs 42 and 43 of thedevice 40 may be inserted into the aligned openings 32 to join thesegments and hold them from movement relative to each other in alongitudinal direction. The head portion 41 has a width equal to saidpreselected distance, and the sides of the head engage the edges 30a and30h of adjacent segments and maintain said preselected distance. Foreach two adjacent segments so joined, two devices 40 are required.However, it is preferable to use three of the devices since thisprovides more ideal load transfer when the multisection shelf is loaded.When the desired width of the multisection shelf has been accomplishedby assembling the segments together, the shelf may be supported on thebrackets as illustrated in FIG. l. lf desired, a decorative button (notshown) may be inserted into the openings 32 in the front edge 30a of thefront segment.

Preferably, the -back edge 30b of the back segment engages the frontwall 14 of support member 10 while the front edge 30a of the frontsegment engages the back edge of the projection 28 (see FIG. 3). In thismanner, the multisection shelf is securely held between the projection28 and the wall 14 of the support member to prevent lateral movement ofthe segments. Preferably, then, the length of the supporting surface 26of each bracket is delined by the formula: Wn+S(n-1) wherein W is thewidth of the segments, S is the width of the head 41, and n is thenumber of segments in the multisection shelf. Obviously, brackets ofdifferent lengths may be provided to accommodate different widths of themultisection shelf. Additional widths can lbe provided merely by addingor subtracting segments in the manner described above.

Another embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 5-7. In this embodiment, thesegments, generally designated 35, each has a front edge 35a and a rearedge 3Sb. The edges, however, have no openings as do the edges ofsegments 30. Thus, the front edge 35a of the front segment provide anunencumbered surface to the viewer. Means is provided for holding thesegments in spaced relationship, and this means is in the form of yadevice, generally designated 50, advantageously formed of moderatelyresilient plastic. As best seen in FIG. 7, the device includes a headportion 51 and leg portions 52 and 53 extending laterally in oppositedirections from the head portion. In this embodiment, the leg portionsare adapted to underlie their respective segments, Vand the head portionextends upwardly therefrom to a level not higher than the top of theadjacent segments. The legs 52 and 53 are provided with openings 52a and53a, respectively, for passage of fasteners 55 to secure each leg to itsrespective segment. Preferably, at least one device 50 is locatedclosely adjacent the bracket 12 and I engages the side of the body 22.In a similar manner, another device 50 is located closely adjacent theother bracket 12'. The devices closely adjacent the sides of the twobrackets engage the brackets to hold the multisection shelf fromlongitudinal movement with respect to the brackets.

As many segments 35 as desired may be secured in side-by-siderelationship by the devices 50 to make a multisection shelf of variousdesired widths. For each width, a different size bracket must be used.The bracket has a supporting surface 26 defined by the aforementionedformula.

Two or more assemblies of support members 10, brackets 12, 12'; andmultisection shelves may be arranged with the multisection shelves inend-to-end relationship (see FIG. l). The segments 30 of the adjacentmultisection shelves are held with their ends in spaced relationship bythe aforedescribed devices. As described above, segments 30 haveopenings 32 in their ends and devices 40 are provided to secure the endsas shown in FIG. 2. Similarly,

FIG. 5 illustrates devices 50 securing segments 35 in spaced end-to-endrelationship. The devices 40 or 50` provide a load transferring joint atthe ends of the multisection shelf.

By supplying a plurality of segments 30 or 35 and their respectivedevices 40 or 50, multisection shelves of many different widths can beassembled as indicated above. Additionally, when the segments arefurnished in two and three feet lengths, any length shelf two feet ormore in length can be assembled. However, since four feet is a popularlength, it is preferable to furnish that length also. In this manner, anumber of segments can be utilized to make a large variety of shelfwidths and lengths.

As explained above, the ideal situation of brackets having supportingsurfaces lying in the same plane and a perfectly planar shelf does notusually exist. A multisection shelf, formed in the manner describedabove, is particularly advantageous in such a non-planar situation. Forexample, the devices 40 and 50 permit a limited amount of twisting ofeach segment relative to the adjacent segment. Should the supportingfaces of the bracket not be planar, or should the segments be slightlywarped, the segments will more readily conform to the supportingsurfaces. This is because the segments, when loaded, will twistslightly, as described, and conform to the supporting surface somewhatindependently of the adjacent segments. This result cannot -beaccomplished by a one-piece shelf. It is deemed obvious that holding thesegments in spaced relationship aids in this advantageous result.Additionally, the spaced relationship minimizes any slight misalignmentof the segments and provides a pleasing appearance without an exacting,perfect fit.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have herein beenillustrated and described, this has been done by Way of illustration`and not limitation, and it is to be understood that Variousmodifications in structure will occur to a person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A multisection shelf and bracket assembly comprising, in combination:

at least two upwardly extending wall mountable support members havingmeans for mounting the same on a supporting wall;

rst and second shelf brackets each having means for engaging arespective support member to support the bracket thereon, each shelfbracket having a bearing surface extending outwardly from the supportmember and an upwardly extending projection at the outer end thereof;

a multisection shelf supported on the bearing surface of the rst andsecond brackets and including a plurality of elongate flat shelfsegments spanning said brackets and extending in sidewise alignedrelation generally parallel to each other, said shelf segments eachhaving front and rear side edges and at least two openings in each sideedge located so that the openings in adjacent segments are aligned whenthe segments are coextensive; and

means for holding the shelf segments in spaced relationship andincluding at least two pin connectors associated with the Space betweenadjacent ones ofthe shelf segments, each pin connector having a centralhead portion and reduced leg portions extending in opposite directionsfrom the head portion, said head portion having a size less than thethickness of said shelf segments but greater than the size of saidopenings and disposed in the space and engaged with the side edges ofadjacent shelf segments for holding the segments in said spacedrelationship, said leg portions being dimensioned to be frictionallyreceived in said openings and extending laterally in opposite directionsfrom the head portion into aligned openings in adjacent segments forholding the shelf segments in relative longitudinal position.

2. The combination of claim 1 and including a second multisection shelfand bracket assembly constructed in accordance with claim 1, saidassemblies having their support members generally in a vertical plane,the bearing surfaces of their brackets generally in the same plane, andtheir multisection shelves adjacent each other and with the segments inend-to-end relationship; the bracket of each assembly being spaced fromthe adjacent ends of the multisection shelves; and including means forholding the adjacent ends in spaced relationship and for providing aload-transferring connection between the multisection shelves, saidlast-mentioned means including end openings in the ends of said segmentsand a plurality of pin connectors each constructed in accordance withclaim 1, there being a pin connector for each pair of segments inendto-end relationship.

3. A multisection shelf and bracket assembly comprising, in combination:

a plurality of upwardly extending support members;

at least one shelf bracket mounted on each support member and having abearing surface extending outwardly therefrom;

a multisection shelf supported on the bearing surfaces of said bracketsand including first and second sets of elongate flat shelf segments, theshelf segments in each set being disposed in sidewise aligned relationwith each other and the shelf segments of one set being disposed inendwise aligned relation With respective ones of the shelf segments of-the other set, the shelf segments having at least two openings in eachside edge thereof and at least one opening in the end edges thereof;

a plurality of pin connectors each having a central head portion andreduced leg portions extending in opposite directions from the headportion, said head portion having a size less than the thickness of saidshelf segments but greater than the size of Said openings in the sideand end edges of the shelf segments,

and said leg portions being dimensoned to be frictionally received insaid openings, a first set of said pin connectors having the legportions thereof extending into the openings in the adjacent side edgesof the first set of shelf segments with the heads on the first set ofpin connectors engaging said adjacent side edges of the first set ofshelf segments to laterally space the same, a second set of said pinconnectors having the leg portions thereof extending into the openingsin the adjacent side edges of the second set of shelf segments with theheads on the second set of pin connectors engaging said adjacent sideedges of the second set of shelf segments to laterally space the same,and a third set of said pin connectors extending into the openings inthe adjacent end edges of the shelf segments of the first and secondsets with the head portions disposed between said adjacent ends to spacethe same.

References Cited Dixon 52-585 X ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner A.FRANKEL, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

gjgo UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,513,786 Dated May 25, 1970 Inventor(s) Harlan I?- Kellg It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent; and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

[ Claim 3,I column 6, line 18, "ends" should be end edges 1 nova m(SEAL) Amat:

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